Moderna mRNA Vaccine Production Facility
Laval, QC, Canada
New high-performance facilities for biotechnology
Located in Laval, Moderna’s 8,360 m2 production facility for mRNA vaccines has capacity to produce 100 million doses annually.
In just 15 months, EXP’s multidisciplinary teams provided critical engineering for and supported construction of Moderna’s first Canadian production facility for mRNA vaccines. This accomplishment helped reach an important milestone for Moderna in Canada – further supporting disease treatment and prevention.
EXP’s team provided multidisciplinary engineering services, prepared technical documents related to mechanical, electrical, civil and structural engineering and provided construction-phase services. Our team’s work covered manufacturing, cleaning, warehouse, shipping and receiving, administrative spaces, as well as laboratories, HVAC systems and automation support.
Innovative use of sustainable technologies and design
The facility was designed to support advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing while reducing operational greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficient building systems. The site leverages Quebec’s predominantly renewable electricity grid and innovative building technologies to improve operational efficiency and support Moderna’s sustainability goals.
The new facility was awarded LEED Silver certification for Building Design and Construction (BD+C) from the Canada Green Building Council (CGBI), recognizing the facility’s sustainable design and high-performance building systems.
Key elements leading to LEED Silver certification
This project stands out for its innovative application of sustainable and energy-efficient technologies for pharmaceutical facilities and laboratories. EXP proposed engineering solutions to support Moderna in reaching its sustainability objectives.
The facility incorporates an integrated suite of technologies designed to improve energy performance while meeting the demanding environmental requirements of pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Key sustainable features include:
- Heat recovery chillers that capture waste heat from process cooling and reuse it for building heating
- Electric heat pump systems that provide efficient heating and cooling
- Electric boiler systems that support building heating requirements
- High-efficiency HVAC systems and advanced building automation controls
- Variable frequency drives on major mechanical equipment
- Building-wide lighting controls to optimize energy use
- Water-efficient plumbing fixtures that reduce potable water consumption
Heat recovery from exhaust systems and chillers maximizes captured energy, while implementing control sequences and innovative solutions minimize peak energy demand. Moderna participates in Hydro-Québec’s Demand Response program, contributing to the collective effort to decarbonize Quebec’s economy. The systems and implementation of control sequences enable the building’s power management devices to be automated.
Together, these systems improve overall building efficiency while supporting reliable pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.
Services
Structural, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Fire Protection, Industrial Process, Energy Efficiency and Optimization, LEED Consultation, Sustainability, BIM/Digital Delivery, Construction Supervision
